WWW Wednesday

Currently Reading

Ove is the stereotypical curmudgeon, or so he seems. The book opens up with Ove berating a poor electronics salesperson as he attempts to purchase an “O-pad.” We learn about Ove’s past through flashbacks to his youth, all while the modern story line details his grief over the recent death of his wife.

I’m roughly a third of the way into this book, and I can say with relative confidence that it’s going to break my heart.

Ani is the girl who has it all: good looks, a prestigious New York City job, a rich fiance… and a deep, dark secret hidden from everyone in her life and from the reader. I’ve only just started this one, but the protagonist has an interesting voice so far, if sometimes seemingly raunchy for the sake of being raunchy.

This seems like one where everything hangs on the twists and turns. So far, I’m intrigued.

Recently Finished

This is a light and fluffy romance, not one of the bodice-ripping variety. An Amish farmer named Caleb falls for Reese, a resident working at the hospital treating his nephew after a farming equipment accident. The romance is not always the focal point of the story. Caleb struggles with his Amish community over his desire to get his nephew the most modern medical assistance possible. Reese struggles with a sort of belated coming of age story as she tries to break free from the path her parents have laid out for her.

At times, it feels like Wigg is trying to do too much with this, perhaps out of a desire to make it more than a simple “opposites attract” romance story. Consequently, the ending feels rushed as she tries to tie everything together. The story is more than a tad predictable, but then again, what romance isn’t? Overall, this was a cute and heartwarming story and an easy read.

This one was a reread for me. I wanted to revisit this novel after hearing that it’s being adapted to a TV show for HBO. I’d forgotten just how dark this book was. Flynn, author of Gone Girl, does darkness so, so well.

Camille Preaker is a reporter covering a string of disturbing child murders in her hometown, a place she’d prefer not to revisit even under the best of circumstances. Full of visceral images and uncomfortable encounters, Flynn really puts you inside Camille’s head as she navigates her awkward homecoming, high stress job assignment, and family tensions, all while recovering from years of self harm brought on by mental illness and a woefully unhealthy relationship with her mother.

At its heart, this book is about unhealthy relationships between women and darkness within them. This book hinges on Camille’s simultaneously smothering yet icy relationship with her mother, as well as her attempts to reach out to the sometimes vicious younger half-sister she’s never known.

Next on My Reading List

This is my book club’s pick for next month. This is the story of a transgender child’s identity, and her family’s struggles to balance acceptance with a desire to protect her from the less understanding world.

I have reservations about this one based solely on the blurb. It makes it clear that Claude, the trans child, identifies as a girl, and then proceeds to use male pronouns through the rest of the summary. Here’s hoping the subject is handled with appropriate sensitivity…